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Ankle Fusion Help...

JesiDM
JesiDM Posts: 268 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone. My mom had an ankle fusion 2 and a half years ago. She is now looking to lose weight but is unsure of she can do. Because of the fusion she can't move her ankle like normal so theres alot she can't do. She has a lot of back problems so that also poses a problem. She knows that when she loses weight it will help alot. Any advice or tips would be greatly apprieciated!

Replies

  • JesiDM
    JesiDM Posts: 268 Member
    bump
  • angiefts
    angiefts Posts: 1
    .
  • bmacholiday
    bmacholiday Posts: 210 Member
    Wish I had some answers. Maybe she should talk to her doctor or a physical therapist about exercises she can do that won't cause any further injury.
  • mblair1968
    mblair1968 Posts: 323 Member
    Water exercises/swimming would be good exercise to keep weight off the ankle. When she loses some weight she can try more weight bearing exercises. Unfortunately when you fuse an ankle it is just not going to work normally any more.
  • mblair1968
    mblair1968 Posts: 323 Member
    Upper extremity resistance exercises would also be good
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    I lost 175 lbs. in the Therapy pool over 17 months through the Wellness center of our YMCA. I could not walk more than a few feet back then so Water displacement became my saving graces.. What I could not do on land I could do in the water... SO I started walking laps (back and forth) in the pool... I too had chronic lower back problems as well as two very bad knee's... The Pool would be the first place I would start.. I got a script through my doctor when I first got started and the Wellness center had a program called Keep on Exercising (30 dollars a month) for patients that wanted to continue after their therapy session had ended... Best of Luck to your Mom...
  • Monkee8088
    Monkee8088 Posts: 143
    i didnt have mine fused but have pins in both, and a plate in one. my advice is to start slooowww. if she jumps right into it she may do more harm than good. i started with swimming, then moved onto just walking and its gotten a lot better. if it bothers her after alternate hot and cold compresses. (hot works best for me bc mine lock up on me) also i have arthritis in mine (yay!) and i take tylenol arthritis when it gets really bad, it seems to be the only thing that works. (walmart makes a generic version and it works exactly the same) i have also found that if they are sore the more i use them the quicker i recover and can walk again. good luck and let me know if i can help out in any way :)
  • JesiDM
    JesiDM Posts: 268 Member
    Thank you everyone! Very helpful suggestions!
This discussion has been closed.

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